𝕊𝔼𝕍𝔼ℕ 𝕀ℕ 𝔸 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 {𝙼𝙰𝙷𝙰𝙱𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝚃 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴 𝚃𝚁𝙰𝚅𝙴𝙻}

81. A Surprise Visit.

" Sagarika, come -"

"No mata, hold on please. Now I don't care about being respectful or careful with my tongue. " Moving towards Mahamahim Bhishm, I looked up at him, before saying, " So, what was your reason for not stopping your grandchild? " He looked despondent, gloomy, his head hung low in shame, tears streaked his face.

"Putri, I was bound -"

"No no, I want to know. Is this your Kuruvansh? Find women, treat them poorly, then offer the solace of 'dharm'? Does your dharm give you the right to watch a woman be disrobed? You can curb your vision, but you won't make sure that this doesn't happen at all? "

"I am sorry,  I've spent my life serving the throne -"

"And I'm not saying you haven't! But your fake dharm has destroyed far too many lives, frankly, it's destroying more. " I snarled and he had the right to be ashamed.

I moved along to Guru Dron. " Tell me, Gurudev, is it amenable for a brahmin like you to watch this adharm take place? Where is your son? He considers me his sister doesn't he! He calls me kid! You should have taken the responsibility my father couldn't! You watched as your student proudly boasted his lust, his greed for the throne! His adharm and all you have to say is that you were bound! To whom! Dharm is liberating! It's not supposed to bind! "

"All courtiers! I will accept no punishment for my actions, because I am not wrong! You dare to threaten my family. I promise you, you have only met two of us... The next five will destroy your Kuruvansh and no one will know it ever existed! Give us back our throne! Give my husband his possessions! Give him the power he held, because if you don't, war is coming to Hastinapur and I'm not waiting for you to be ready. " I said, when I heard the doors open once more, revealing, Sulo, AJ and Devi.

" Saag? " AJ whispered, shook.

It might have been the loss of adrenalin, or my anger finally subsiding, but seeing my daughter, my husband and my brother made me weep.

"Shh." He mumbled, pulling me close to him in the classic AJ hug. He knew what that meant. It was a hug of reassurance. It was one of the times I let AJ care for me too.

" You are so strong. Even if not related to you by blood, I'm proud to call you my sister. " He muttered, before drying his own eyes.

" Maharaj Dhritarashtr! " He shouted, the sound frightening me to my core, as I looked up alarmed with wide eyes.

" AJ -"

" No no. Wait. Maharaj Dhritarashtr! What gave your son the right to insult the princess of Pragjyotishpur! You have invited war upon your kingdom, " He exclaimed, all the elders in the court were growing restless, they would open their mouth to object but nothing came out.

"Is that an active challenge for war? " Duryodhan asked and I really wanted to facepalm myself.

" It was a challenge the moment you touched her without her permission you swine, now it's not a challenge. It's a promise. " He answered, staring right at him.

AJ, you cannot fight... What are you doing!

" Maharaj Dhritarashtr, I am taking the princess of Pragjyotishpur, along with her family away to my home, where she will be under the protection of her brother, the Yuvraj and her father.... So be aware of what you do and say. Return my brother in law's throne, we leave here and you will never face any threat from either of our kingdoms. If you fail, I hope you are ready to step into the battlefield. "

" Yuvraj, why do you think we'll agree to this pointless condition of yours -"

"As I recall, Gandharaj, you aren't part of Hastinapur, nor are you there regent, the advisor or have any legitimate post in this court. Frankly you're a coward and a vengeful idiot who can't stay and look after his own kingdom. As for how I dare... I don't think a kingdom threatened with war has any right to say that to us.  If your might is your army, Mahamahim Bhishm, Guru Dron, then ours is our army, Panchal, Dwarika's Narayani Sena, Balram Dau and my wife and her sisters. You seem to not know so we shall tell you. They are the seven flames of Agnidev. If you dare to cross their path, well, you saw how two of them nearly burnt your court down, do you truly wish to have all seven of them ready to anhilate your kingdom? Because believe me, they will. My sister is one of the most vengeful woman if you insult her or her family. So be warned. " He concluded, grabbing hold of my hand as he pulled me out of the sabha, the rest of us following.